Reds to face URC outfit in landmark tour
SPOTLIGHT: Super Rugby and the United Rugby Championship will have a crossover period in November.
South meets north when the Reds will travel to Treviso and play two games in Italy in November under a landmark joint initiative with Benetton and the Italian Rugby Federation.
The Reds will play an Italy XV on the weekend commencing November 20 and against partner Benetton a week later.
Both games of Queensland’s first rugby tour to Italy in 46 years will be played at Benetton’s home ground of Stadio Monigo in Treviso.
The Queensland Rugby Union is delighted to announce this progressive opportunity which continues the hard work to provide Reds players with an expanded international pathway to develop their skills and adaptability.
The tour has been made possible by the Reds’ partnership with Benetton, a collaboration formalised in July 2025.
The starting point was Reds trio John Bryant, Louis Werchon and Richie Asiata heading to Treviso on secondment to train and play with Benetton Rugby after the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season.
As a result, Werchon was match-hardened by seven matches for Benetton in the URC when called on to start for the Reds against the Waratahs in Sydney last Friday night.
Sam Cordingley, the Reds General Manager, High Performance, said the tour is an exciting dimension with a club of such history and ambition as Benetton.
“It’s terrific to be able to announce these matches in Treviso,” Cordingley said.
“The strength of rugby is the international flavour, and we are really trying to lean into that as the QRU. We sent three excellent players over to Italy where they represented Benetton and the Reds.
“A strong point of the partnership is affording players and staff the chance to experience something different, where they’ll learn, not just in rugby but with a life perspective.
“The QRU would like to thank Benetton and the Italian Rugby Federation for helping to bring this opportunity to life.”
Benetton’s own international vision aligns with the Italian Rugby Federation’s strategy to broaden and strengthen the national team through an increasing number of high-level fixtures to develop players.
The match against Italy XV forms part of the development pathway of Italy’s second national team.
The joint initiative confirms the shared commitment to investing in structured, long-term international relationships capable of generating technical, sporting and cultural value.
